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Chapter Fifteen
ISABEL
Tristan kicks absently at the mat as we wait for his parents to answer the door. It’s a miracle we even got him this close to his childhood home. Kim and I had to drag him kicking and screaming (or in his case, cursing and brooding) after deciding this was our only choice to fight Pierce’s threat.
It was the right call, but it hurts to see how scared he is. He covers it well, of course. If I wasn’t attuned to every detail about that man, I doubt I’d recognize his anxiety. It’s frightening how much he must be hiding in that tortured head. A shiver runs through me that I’ve only seen a fraction of it.
I slip my hand in his and squeeze. His eyes dart to mine, and I catch the years of pain pooling in those dark brown irises.
“You need to be here,” I remind him. “You’ve spent too much of your life being misunderstood and silenced. You need to have a voice when Kim tells your parents the truth.”
He nods, but there’s no conviction in it. I don’t blame him after witnessing that disturbing encounter when Mr. Haverford dropped off the mail. This confrontation will probably be worse, but I can’t imagine tellinghisstory tohisparents without him present. He has a right to witness the fallout and defend himself. I’m tired of watching him absorb blow after blow in silence.
The door opens, and Tristan’s hand constricts around mine.
“Mija,” their mom says to Kim in surprise. “Everything okay?”
Then she sees her son.
“Tristan,” she whispers, and I swear I detect relief and longing in her expression before she casts a worried look behind her. “You shouldn’t be here, mijo,” she says in an urgent tone. “You know that.”
“Yes, he should,” Kim says. “He has to be. We have to tell you something. Is Dad home?”
Yolis Haverford’s brow creases, but Kim doesn’t wait for her mother’s response. She pushes into the house and waves us behind her.
I step forward, but stall when my hand won’t move. Glancing back, I see Tristan frozen in place, silently pleading with me not to make him do this. God, this is brutal. I bring his hand to my lips for a soft kiss, ignoring the surprised inhale of his mother.
“You can do this,” I say, searching his eyes.
He softens for just a second before his attention shifts to something behind me. Bracing myself, I follow his gaze to the livid figure visible through the open door.
Kim is arguing with the man, but I doubt he even hears what she’s saying. His focus is glued to his son.
“Dad, please,” she says, blocking our view. “You have to listen. It’s extremely important.”
“Let me guess. He needs money or got himself in more trouble. What’d you do this time?” he calls out to Tristan.
“No,” Kim says in frustration. “Just… let’s sit and talk.”
“He’s not coming into my house.”
I feel Tristan deflate behind me, and my chest burns from anger as much as sympathy. Why can’t these two pigheaded men just have a simple conversation for once?
Tristan is already heading back to the car with a stony look when I yank his hand. He fires a glare at me, and I return one just as hot. I’m done playing nice. Done with secrets and lies. Done with broken people nursing their festering wounds instead of healing them.
I grab his wrist and drag him forward, my blood pounding with righteous fury. Hope they’re ready because now that the fuse is lit, I’m in beast mode.
“You need to listen, Mr. Haverford,” I say, stepping over the threshold.
Tristan still resists when I tug him after me, and I turn a hard look on him. After a short standoff, he sighs and lets me pull him into the house. I continue forward, my gaze locked on Ben Haverford.
“Your family has suffered enough from secrets and lies,” I say. “None of you are innocent in this travesty, soallof you need to be part of the solution.”
Ben’s startled look at my outburst quickly fades into resentment. “There is nothing you can say or do that will fix this,” he says. “You should know that better than anyone, Isabel. He almost ruined your life, too.”
Ouch.I tighten my hold on Tristan’s hand, knowing how badly that cut him.
“We’re not asking for anything, just for you to listen,” I say.
